Ohio Secretary of State Removes Democratic Members of Election Board for Supporting Weekend Voting

Judd Legum
Think Progress / News Report
Published: Saturday 18 August 2012
“Ohio Secretary of State suspended two Democrats on a county election board after they voted to allow weekend voting.”
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In a dramatic move, Ohio Secretary of State John Husted immediately suspended two Democrats on a county election board after they voted to allow weekend voting.

Earlier, Husted issued a directive canceling weekend voting statewide. In 2008, Ohio offered early voting on the weekends and thousands of voters cast their ballot during that time.

Husted issued an ultimatum to Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie Sr., members of the Montgomery County Eleciton Board, to withdraw their resolution to maintain weekend hours or face suspension. The Dayton Daily News has more:

But in their afternoon meeting, Lieberman, an attorney and former county Democratic Party chair, refused to withdraw his motion, arguing both that his motion did not violate the directive, and that it was best for local voters. He acknowledged that the move could cost him his BOE job.

I believe that this is so critical to our freedom in America, and to individual rights to vote, that I am doing what I think is right, and I cannot vote to rescind this motion,” Lieberman said. “In 10 years, I’ve never received a threat that if I don’t do what they want me to do, I could be fired. I find this reprehensible.”

The Obama campaign has filed a law suit in federal court to restore weekend voting.



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5 comments on "Ohio Secretary of State Removes Democratic Members of Election Board for Supporting Weekend Voting"

BozoAdult

August 20, 2012 10:01am

Republican voter suppression efforts are treasonous.

bowlegs339

August 19, 2012 10:49pm

i find it disgusting how republican are showing their racist selves by doing everything possible to stop minorities and elderly from voting. That's the only way for them to possibly win is by cheating. How unpatriotic republicans are.

rmco

August 19, 2012 10:06am

This flies in the face of everything we hold sacred in the U.S. and everything we profess to be to the world at large. We place ourselves on a pedestal as paragons of virtue throughout the world even as we allow Corporate America, enabled by the Republican Party, to trample on our American ideals and the Constitution. We have elected the founders of the new American oligarchy and we fail to react as they dismantle our democracy and claim ownership of our country and its citizens. We can thank Republicans for being the acquiescent corporate whores who have sold our country to the highest bidders. Our Supreme Court wanted in on the cash flow from Corporate America and stooped to an unimaginable low in allowing corporations, both American and foreign, to buy the congress and elections in general. And the Republican Party doesn't stop here. Republican lawmakers now trample further on the Constitution by limiting voting rights of citizens. The U.S. has become an international joke and we are an embarassment to ourselves and a complete disgrace in the world. The U.S. is going nowhere but down.

pitch1934

August 18, 2012 1:23pm

How do you get on the board? Are you elected? Are you appointed? If a member is elected, how can he/she be fired or suspended. It seems to me it is the people who put you there that make that decision.

luxartisan

August 18, 2012 10:33am

Welcome to Nazi America.